Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
Although native to the coasts of the Mediterranean, rosemary is a hardy perennial suitable for your own garden - in the bed or in a pot. It requires very little care and can be harvested all year round.
The good news is we can still call it Rosemary, but the official name has changed. At a meeting in 2019 members of the RHS Nomenclature and Taxonomy Advisory Group accepted the move to absorb Rosmarinus into the genus Salvia. The plant used to be called Rosmarinus officinalis but will now be called Salvia rosmarinus. Its common name of rosemary stays the same.
There are two basic types: upright forms useful as shrubs, and prostrate types that will spill down slopes and cascade over walls.
PROFILE
Location: sunny, warm, sheltered
Soil: moderately dry, permeable, avoid waterlogging.
Care: keep weed-free, fertilize the bed with compost in the spring, add a dose of organic herb fertilizer to the pot, water regularly (but moderately).
Frost protection: cover the crown with fleece
Propagation via cuttings
Harvest: cut off individual leaf needles or entire shoot tips all year round
Pruning: cut back shoots from the previous year from the end of March to the beginning of April
Indispensable for the kitchen
With its tart and spicy taste, rosemary is an indispensable part of the kitchen. The herb gives potatoes, meat and vegetables a strong flavour. For hearty dishes, salads or as a simple dip: rosemary oil is a real all-rounder. Two shoot tips are enough to flavour a bottle of organic vegetable oil. After six weeks in a tightly sealed container, you can remove the branches.
Rosemary in the garden
The herb originated on the rugged, steep slopes of Portugal and Spain. There, the shrub can grow to man’s height. Translated from Latin, rosemary means "dew of the sea" because morning dewdrops collect in the lip-shaped flowers. Initially grown in monastery gardens in the Middle Ages, rosemary is now one of the oldest potted herbs in our gardens.
As it gets older, it grows bushy and wide. Its branches are densely covered with evergreen leaves that resemble the needles of conifers. Their surface is leathery and dark green. Silver-grey hairs cover the underside of the leaves.
The special aromas of rosemary are due to the essential oils. The oil content is up to 2.5%. The hotter it is, the higher the content. Tannins, bitter substances, flavonoids and resins also contribute to the slightly bitter and spicy-tart taste.
Whether in a pot or in a bed - rosemary needs a warm and sunny place. As in its natural habitat, moderately dry, calcareous and very permeable soils are suitable for cultivation. If the soil in your own bed is too heavy, sand, granulate or gravel will provide the necessary lightness. Although rosemary is not very susceptible to disease, it will rot in waterlogged soil.
Rosemary needs a distance of at least 50 centimetres from the next plant. If the wind blows through its leaves, powdery mildew has no chance. Good neighbours in the garden are sage, oregano, lavender or hyssop. If you want to grow rosemary in the bed all year round, you should choose a variety that is as frost-hardy as possible. The varieties 'Arp', 'Weihenstephan' and 'Boule' defy temperatures of up to -15 °C. Many of our rosemary plants are descendants of Rosemary ‘Eden’, grown by Rod Alston at Edenplants in Rossinver.
Rosemary in a pot
Rosemary can be planted in a pot. The plant pots should definitely have a drainage hole to prevent waterlogging. Choose large pots for young plants. The older the rosemary bush is, the less well it will tolerate being moved. Choose peat-free herb soil for growing in pots. Conventional potting soil is usually too heavy and rich in nutrients. Mix it with sand or gravel to loosen the soil. In spring, support the herb with organic compost.
Sometimes the branches lose all their leaves over the course of the winter. Cut the previous year's shoots back to short stumps at the end of March. This encourages new growth and maintains the compact shape.
This is how rosemary offspring are created
Rosemary is easy to propagate using cuttings. In early autumn, take shoot tips around 10 centimetres long that are already woody in the lower part and remove the leaves. The cuttings will soon take root in moistened potting soil in a bright, warm place under a transparent cover. Until the young plants move to the bed in May, the cuttings overwinter in pots at 20 °C in a bright place.
Depending on the variety, the main flowering period of rosemary is between March and May. More flowers often follow over the course of the year. The lip flowers, arranged in whorls, appear in the leaf axils of the shoot tips. Their colour spectrum ranges from pink to violet, to dark blue. Shortly before the first flowers appear, the essential oil content in the leaves is at its highest: the ideal time to harvest for dry supplies. Despite the fluctuating oil content, rosemary is a delight all year round. Harvest the shoot tips just above the woody part. Regular harvesting encourages new growth.
In winter, rosemary reduces its metabolism. At this time, the harvest will be somewhat smaller. To dry, bundle the branches and hang them upside down in a dark corner of the room. This way, rosemary retains its full aroma.
Rosemary - actions, culinary and medicinal uses and more
Key actions Rosemary is a stimulating herb with anti-septic and anti-fungal properties in the oil. It has anti-depressant actions and is a restorative tonic for nervous conditions.
Culinary uses Rosemary is an aromatic used in tomato sauce, to flavour roasted vegetables and is also an old favourite in chicken, lamb and fish dishes. We use it also in and on focaccia in combination with olives and it adds an unusual flavour to a fruit salad.
Medicinal uses A hot infusion is good for colds and rheumatic pains. It is also a stimulation drink for fatigue and headages and has a reputation to strengthening memory. The essential oil added to a bath is good for aching limbs and also acts as a stimulant for nervous exhaustion. If you don’t have the essential oil at hand just add a small bunch of the fresh herb, tie it together with a piece of string and hang under the tap as you fill the bath or just add it to the bath water. You can also use rosemary as a foot bath. Just add a good handful of the fresh herbs to a pint of hot water, infuse for 15 minutes, cool it down with cold water until still warm enough to infuse your feet for 20 minutes.
Other uses Rosemary is especially good as a hair tonic and is used in may herbal shampoos. Make an infusion and use as a final rinse when washing your hair. Especially good for dark hair.